Door-operating mechanism.



A. G. BLVIN. DO O` OPERATING MEGHANEM. APPLIOAHOI FILED JULY 24, 19'1-2.

Patented sepnzs, 1913.

A. G-. ELVIN. DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION 1711.111) JULY 24, 1912.

v Patented .Sept4 23, 1913.

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A. e. ELVIN. vDOOR OPERATING MEGEANISM. l APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1913.y

Patented Sept 23 NTpn ' j UNITED STATES PATENT orrucn ALBERT o. ELvrN, oEsoMEnvILLE, NEW JEEsEY.

DOOR-,OPERATING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1912. Serial No. 711,255.

Patented Slept. 23, 1913.

fire doors 4of steam boiler and other furnaces, audits object is to provide an automatically operating mechanism' of such general class or type, by which a door may be automatically opened and closed, atldesired intervals, these operations'continuing, without attention or manipulation by an operator, during the entire period that-'motive fluid is permitted to be supplied to the apparatus.`

The im rovement claimed is hereinafter? lfully. set orth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front vview, in elevation, of a lirebox doonlope'rating mechanism, illustrating an embodiment of my invention, in .position on the back head of alocomotive rebox; Figl"2, an end view of the same with the firebo'x in section; Fig-3, a vertical longitudinal central section, on an enlarged scale, through the ydoor motor; Fig. 4, a similar section through the valve motor; and, Fig. 5, a vertical transverse section through the valve motor, on the' line 'a a of Fig. 4.

My invention is herein exemplified as a plied in connection with a fire door app ia-nce comprehending two reciprocating members, 9, 9, performing the function Aof fireV door leaves or sections, which are fitted to slide horizontally toward and from each other in guides, 3, on a door frame, and to cover and uncover, 'as the case maybe, a

-firing o`ening4:, in a' firebox or furnace, 45.

*The door section reciprocating members are 5, to w ich the door `frame is connected,

i moved from'and toward each other, to open antlclose, respectively, the iiring'opening, by means of levers, 12, 1.2, pivoted by pins or'loolts, 13, to agear casmg hereinafter.

said segment ears about their axes, the door sections wlll be moved from or toward each other, as the'case may be. e A hand lever, 18, is pivoted to the bottom guides of the door frame, and isy provided with a longitudinal slot, 18, engaging a pin, 18, fixed to the'door section, 9, for the purpose ,of 'operating the door sections manually,

when desired. The application of my invention in connection with a door mechanism compris? ing two movable doory sections, involves, in operative combination with such mechanism, the following principal characteristic members' or elements, viz: a fluid pressure door motor, by which the door sections are alternately moved from and toward each other, to effect the opening and closure of the firing opening,A said motor, as an entirety, being indicated on the drawin s-by the reference symbol,A;anauto1natical yop-- erating fluid pressure valve motor, by which the supply and exhaust of -motive fluid to and from the door motor are effected and controlled, said valve motor as an entirety, being indicated on the drawings, by the re'ference symbol, B; and a manually operated regulating valve, 'by Which'the speed of the valve motor, and consequent number of operations of the door sections within any determined period, is regulated and controlled by the operator, or the operation of the door sections is intermitted 4for any desired period, in accordance with the conditions governing the supplyv oi fuel to the Firebox. The regulating valve, as an entirety, is indicated on the drawings by the reference symbol, C.

The door motor, A, herein exemplified, is not, in and of itself, claimed as of my .present invention, and a motor of different .specific structure may,'1f desired, be sub* stituted therefor, in the discretion' of the constructor, as a member of a ycomplete door operatlng mechanism embodying my invention. It, will not therefore be fully and in complete detail set forth, but its operative principle and relation to the cooperating :elements ofthe 'complete mechanism Will be herein described sufliciently to enable them `to be understood.

In the insta-nce shown, a fluid pressure cylinder, 25, is bolted-to the top of the door frame, and is closed at 'one of its ends, in .this case the left hand end, by a head, 2G.

integral with, or fixed to, a piston rod, 28,

which is made of such diameter as to cause the area of the piston effective for pressure to be substantially less on the piston rod side than o-n the o posite side, the former being, say, one hall) the latter, thus constituting the piston a diierential one. The bore of the cylinder, 25, at, and for some dista-nce from its end Which is farther` from the piston, is in correspondence with the diameter of the piston rod, which is coupled, by a pin, 19a, to an arm, 19, on the segment gear, 17, the pin passing through a longitudinal slot in `the arm, so as to admit of the vibration of the latter about the axis of the segment gear. Movement to the. right or to the left, as desired, is imparted to the piston by fluid pressure, as hereinafter described, and it Will be seen that such movement will, through the segment gears and their constructions, move the door sections apart, or

bring them together, as the case may be.

The supply and exhaust'of motive uid to and fromthe o posite sides of the piston, 28, to efect t e opening and closin(Y movements of thedoor sections, are eiiecte by the following means. A supply pipe, 31, controlled by a throttle or shut otl' valve, 32, leads from any suitable source of fluid pressure supply, as, for example, the main reservoir of an air brake system, to ay val-ve chamber, 34, in the casing of the valve motor, B, and thence. into the larger boreof the cylinder, 25, on the le'ft'hand side of the piston, being connected4 to the head, 26; Communication, throu h said pipe, between the valve chamber andi: the cylinder, is controlled by a door opening supply valve, 33, which is normallyy held seated by a "spring, 33, A branch pipe, 31, which is not valve controlledwr obstructed, leads from the'supply pipe, 31, above the supply valve, 33, into a longitudinal passage, 43, in the cylinder, 25, from which passage another passage, 43, leads into the smaller bore of the cylinder, adjacent to the lright hand end thereof. Communication between the passages, 43 and y 43", is controlled by a door closing supply valve, 53, which is fixed on a vertical stem, 55, and is normally heldA seated by a spring, 53h. j

Ashoe, 28e, is fitted on the upper side of the piston rod, 28, in` position to abut against the lower end of the stem, 55, 'of the door closing supply valve, 53, said shoe `being. recessed at and adjacent to its end nearer the valve stem, and upwardly in-` clined from its recessed portion, which is ,net in contact with the valve stem, to its portion offull' thickness. VVhen in the traverse of the piston rod to the right, the

inclined portion of the shoe strikes the valve stem, it thereby unseats the valve, 53, and holds it unseated during the remainder hof the traverse of the piston and rod to the right, and when, in the traverse of the pis- -ton rod to theleft, the recessed portion yof the shoe comes below the valve stem, the latter is therebyfreed from contact with the shoe, and the valve, 53, is seated by the pressure above it andby its'spring, 53. The construction of valve and shoe above described accords, in y,all substantial particulars,'with that 'set forth in Letters Patent No. 1,030,063, granted and issuedto me under date of June 18, 1912, and is not there- Y fore claimed as of my present invention.

In the traverse of the iston, 28, to the left, during Which the closed, motive fluid is exhausted from lthe `left hand end of the cylinder, 25, through the supply pipe, 3l, the valve chamber, 34,-

(b'elow the valve 33), and an exhaust port, L18, in said chamber, the areaof which may be adjusted as desired by a regulating valve, 51, so as to cushion the exhaust and prevent the slamming of the door sections in closingg oor sections are In order to prevent the door sections from slamming open, the right hand end' head, 26 of the cylinder, 25, is rovided with a spring cushion, against W ich the piston rod, 28, abuts, when nearing the end of its right hand stroke, said spring cushion comprising a plunger, 26, fitted 1n thehead and in a cylindrical extension, 26, thereof, and a helical spring, 26d, abutting at one end on t-heplunger and at the other onla plug or head, 26e, secured adjustably in the outer end of the extension, 26"', of the cylinder head. Y The valve motor, B, which is herein exemplified, is desirably applicable in the prac tice of my invention, 1n the particulars of simplicity, compactness, and `economy in construction, and the absence of stuiling boxes and other packed joints, but any other suitable and preferred form of motor which vis adapted to etlcct the intermittent opencasing, G1, or" substantially rectangular .lll

.amasar n 3 between the slots, 62,ach pair'beingadaptle ed to engage. thecrank'pin .of a dou c1-ank, 631, on the crank'shaftwhich passes through said slots. The crank'shaft's,f 63,

which, through such connection, are rotated directly by. the pistons, are mounted in upper bearings, 64", in-the valve casing hereinafter described, and lower bearings, x61, in the casing, 61, andlthey are alsosupportedon roller bearings, 61",` in the casing, 61. The side 'of the casing, 61, nearerthe cylind rs, is finished trul anda valve cas-l ing,-

is suitably secured to it.' The valve ca sin is bored out parallel with, and in the.

axial -planes pf,the cylinders", to .form two valve. chests, in'each of -which a distribu-V tion valve, 65, of the inside admission piston type, is vfitted to reciprocate, fand said chests. are closed, at their ends, by removable heads, 642 A longitudinal slot, 65", through which. the adjacent crank shaft 63, passesfrely, is formed in each of the distribution valves,

' and each of said valves is valso cent-ral1y re' cessed, opposite 'said-slot, to engage an actuating cam, 632, iixedon the crank shaft.

A supply pipe', 66, leads from any ,suit able source of Huid' pressure supply, which ispreferably the steam space of the boiler,

to a supply port, 66", which opens' into each of the valve chests, at the middle thereof, and induction` iorts, 68, lead from the middie portionso the`valve chestsj to the opposite ends of the 'adjoining cylinders. 'Exhaust ports, 69, lead from the' induction ports, near their outer ends, to the corresponding ends of the valve chests, and sup'- plemental exhaust' orts, 69, are formed in the heads, G4*,'-o the valve chests, said ports communicating .onewit-h the other by a longitudinal port, 770, in the valve casing,

and one of the ports 69", communicating with an exhaust pipe, 1, through which, by

the reciprocation of the distributionvalves,

motive LHuid is exhausted, in proper relation to the movements -of the pistons, from the 1 ends of the valve chests.'

Coincident rotation of the two crankl shafts, 63, is effected 'and insured by intermeshing spur'gears, 72, vfixed thereon, and: the cranica-63, of one of the shafts is set at right angles to that of the other, thereby `preventingdea.d centers and enabling the motor to be started regardless of -the positions 'of the pistons. A worm, 73, fixed on fully one t. the crank shafts, 63, engages a worm shea, "r4, exea im a Sims, 75, joumled in a bearing, in the casing, 61, and the shaft, 75, carries a lifting cam, 76, which actuates a lifting rod, 77, working in` a guide in the casing, by the reciprocation of which, in the .rotation of the shaft, 75, the

door opening supply valve, 33, is unseated,

at desired intervals, to operate the-,door motor.

The valve motor above described is noi; claimed aso my present invent-ion, but is set forth in Letters Patent of the United States blo-1,050,528, granted and issued to me under date of January l14, 1913.

The supply pipe, 66, of the valve. motor.,

'is governed preliminarily, by a throttle. or

valve motor there is interposedthe regular-- ing valve mechanism, C, by which the speed of the valve motor, and, consequently, ,of 'thel door motor, may be increased or, diminished,

--or the operation o'the door motor may be discontinued' from time, to time', as may be .required by the conditions of service. The

regulating "alve mechanism does not, in and of itself, constitute part of my invention, and anysuitable appliance, many of which are familiar'to those skilled in the art, may

shut oil". va ve, 67, between which and the' 1 be used in the discretion of the constructor.

As shown in the drawings,A a regulating valve of ordinary construction is mounted in 'a casing; 78, and actuated by a handle, 79, by the engagement of which with holes or .notches in a fixedl quadrant, 80, the desired control of the iow of motive Huid through 'the supply pipe, 66, is effected.

I n the operation of my invention, the throttle valves, 67, and 32,0 f the valve motor and door motor, having been opened and the regulating valve mechanism adj usted to cause the door motor to be' operated at the speed desired, the door sections will be automatically'opened and closed continuously throughout the period during which the opesator allows motive tiuid to be admitted to the valve motor, the intervals between the movements of' the door secti'ons being governed by the speed of the motor, as determined by the adjustment of the valve regulating mechanism. As the p iston of the door motor moves toward the right, upon the admission of motive fluid to its left hand side, by the unseating of the door opening supply valve, and thereby imparts opening movement to the'door sections, the door closing 'supply valve is unseated by the piston rod` shoe, and motive fluid is admitted tothe 'smaller 'bore of the door motor cylinder.

slamming open of the doors,".which cushioniSuch admission of fluidwill not, however,

door openin supply valve is automatically seated and t e motive fluid on the left, hand- Iside'of thepiston offhe door motor is eX- ing .action is supplemented byzthat` ofthe= -spring cushion device in the ri ht hand head of the cylinder.A As soon'as t e lifting cam i of the valve motor clears the lifting rod, the

. hausted, the'rateof the exhaust being governed ,by the adjustment o f the exhaust regulating ,valve. The pressure in the 'smaller bore ofthe door :..otofrcylinder then -moves the piston to the left andcloses-the connected "door sections', slamming being prevented by the-regulation of the exhaust.

- closing supply'valve is freed from the 'pressure of thepiston rod shoe'and automati-- cally seated, Vand the closing movement is completed lby the expansion of themotive v Huid in the smaller. lb ore of the 2door motor cylinder and the`momentum 'of the door sections. IThe alternate o ening and closing operations -above described similarly continue 'so long as motive fiuid'is allowed to be admitted tothe door motor. l j

It will be understood that in referring. to the door sections as being f automatically opened'and closed by means 'of theop'eration of the valve motor, ,it is meant that such operation and its result are continuously conducted and effected, in propersequence, during the entire period that motive'fiuid is supplied to the valve motor, as abovedescribed, withoutany manipulation whatever by an operator, in contradlstinction to a succession of intermittent operations, each of which requires, and isl dependent upon the f manual adjustment of av valve controlling must necessarily take a longer interval oftime between the deliver" of lsuccessive shovelfuls .of fuel throng the fire door .'opening.v Various other conditions may also arise under which it is desirable to adjust the, timeinterval between the opening movements of the door, which may be readily-'ac- '.complishedby setting the regulating device Y as .above described.

claim V my/'invention 'andl desire to 'secure by Letters Patent: L'lu a door. operating mechanism, the combination of a door, a door .motor coupled thereto, and an independent valve motor au- When the piston has moved nearly tothe4 end of'its traverse in this direction, .the door the tomatica'lly and alternately controlling o moa dmission and exhaust, respectively, tivel fluid to and from the door motor.

2i-.In a door operating mechanism, the

combination of a door, a door motor coupled thereto, an independent valve motor automatically and alternately controlling` thead- -mission and exhaust, respectively, of mot-ive .fluid to and from the door'motor,.and a regulating mechanism controlling tlie rate 'of speed of the valve motor.

3. In a door' operating, mechanism, the combinationfof a door, a door motor coupled thereto, a door opening supply valve controlindependent valve motor, means, actuated by said valve motor, for automatically and alternately opening and closing said door opening supply. valve, and a regulating lmechanism cont-rolling the rate 4of speed of the valve motor, 5... In a door operating mechanismfthe oomblnation of a door, a door motor coupled thereto, a door opening supply valve controlling the admission of motive fluid to the door mo-tor in one direction of movement and'pennittingthe exhaust thereof in the opposite direction, a valve motormeans, ac-

tuated bysaid valve motor, forv automatically and alternatelyopening and closing said door opening supply valve, a door closing supply valve contro-lling the admission of 4motive fluid to' the door motor for movement in the opposite direction to that effected` by the opening of the supply valve, and means, actuated by the door motor, for opening said door closing supply valve.

l 6. In a door operating mechanism, the combination of' a door, a door motor coupled thereto, a door opening supply valve controlling the admission of motive fluid to the door motor in one direction of movement and permitting the exhaust thereof in the opposite direction, a'valve motor, means, actuated by'said valve motor, for automatically and alternately opening and closing said door opening supply valve, a door closing supply valve controlling the admission of motive fluid to the door motor for movement in the opposite direction te that effected by the openingT oi the supply valve, means, actuated by the door'motor, for open: ing said door closing supply valve, an exhaust regulating devicefr cushioning the movement of the door in one direction, and

a spring resistance device I'or cushioning the movement of-the door in the opposite direction.

7. 'In a door operatino' mechanism, the combination of a door. a fluidV pressure actuated reciprocating door motorcounled thereto, an automatically seating door opening supply valve controlling the admission of motive :tiuid to the door motor in one direction of movement and permitting the eX- haust thereof in the opposite directiomauid pressure actuated valve motor, means operated by said motor, for intermittently opening said supply valve, an automatically seating door closing supply valve controlling the admission of motive fluid to the door motor for movement in the; opposite direction to that effected by the opening of the supply valve', means, actuated by the door motor, fer opening said door closing supply valve, and a manually actuated regulating mechanism controlling the valve motor.

8. In door operating mechanism, the combination of a door, a iuid pressure actuated mechanism coupled to and imparting movementin opposite directions to said door, and a separate fluid pressure actuated mechanism automatically controlling the movements of said door moving mechanism.

9. In a door operating mechanism, the combination of a door, a fluid pressure actu- .mechanism automatically controlling the movements of said door moving mechanism, and means for cushioning the movements of said door moving mechanism at their opposite terminals.

11. In a door operating mechanism, the combination of a door, a fluid pressure motor coupled thereto, a supply valve controlling the admission of fluid iosa-id door motor, mechanism operating independently of the door motor to automaticallyT open and close said valve periodically, and manually actuated means for adj ustingthe time inter `val between the successive movements of said valve.

ALBERT G. ELVIN.

Witnesses:

EMILY L. MYERS, lV. H. Com. 

